The present invention relates to the production of a cooking vessel for a steamer, the latter comprising a heating part for producing vapor and a cooking vessel composed of one or several elements disposed on one another vertically on said heating part.
A steamer according to the prior art generally comprises two main parts, which are the heating part and the vessel part that will receive food products that it is desired to cook.
The heating part comprises, interalia, a water vessel and a heating body immersed in this water for the production of steam. This latter rises to reach the cooking vessel. Preferably, a vessel for recovering juices is placed between the heating part and the cooking vessel.
The cooking vessel comprises at least one cooking element composed of a tubular side wall provided with grasping means, for example in the form of handles, and of a bottom that is perforated in order to allow passage of steam over the food products disposed on this bottom. The steam thus traverses the different cooking elements in order to escape through a lid provided with orifices.
It is desirable that the height of the cooking element be adapted to that of the food products to be cooked depending on whether one is considering, for example, cooking fish or a chicken. It is equally desirable that the orifices in the bottoms of these elements have different geometries as a function of the type of food product to be cooked. However, as well as for economic reasons as for reasons of the space available to users, a compromise must be made in the proposed cooking elements offered with the steamers presently sold.
The document WO 98/29014 describes a cooking vessel for a steamer, constituted by at least one cooking element composed of a tubular side-wall and a removable element having a perforated bottom. The cooking element is arranged to be assembled with at least one similar element. The removable element with a perforated bottom has a peripheral side wall that extends upwardly from the bottom. The side wall has at its upper end an outer rim provided to bear on an inner flange provided in the lower part of the bottom of the tubular side wall. Two handles are mounted to be movable in rotation in the side wall of the removable element. The handles can thus be folded back. The removable element can be placed in a serving dish.
This form of construction permits the users to be offered a large of variety of cooking elements having different interior volumes in which the removable element with a perforated bottom is adapted to the type of food product to be cooked. However, the extraction of the removable element with a perforated base is difficult. During cooking, the handles rest on the rim of the removable element. Condensation or cooking juices are capable of falling onto the handles. The handles can be hot and are difficult to reach by the user who must lift them in order to withdraw the removable element having a perforated bottom. In addition, after having withdrawn this element with a perforated bottom, the transfer of food products that require delicate handling after cooking, such as fish, is difficult because of the rim surrounding the perforated bottom. In addition, the removable element of the bottom is simply placed at the interior of the tubular side wall.
An object of the invention is to facilitate the handling of a cooking element for a steamer.
Another object of the invention is to facilitate the presentation of certain food products that require delicate handling after cooking, such as fish.
In other object of the invention is to facilitate extraction of the removable bottom.
These objects are achieved with a cooking element for a steamer composed of a tubular side wall and a removable perforated bottom, in which the perforated bottom has orifices adapted for rapid connection of a removable handle bottom.
Thus, the handle can be connected to the bottom after cooking of the food products, which protects the user from burns during withdrawal of the removable bottom. Gripping of the handle is facilitated.
According to one embodiment, the handle has two ends each having a pair of elastic claws with a beveled edge, the beveled edges being arranged to cooperate with the walls of the orifices during insertion of the claws into said orifices. Simple insertion of the claws into the orifices thus permits the handle to be secured with the perforated bottom.
According to one embodiment, the cooking element has an elongated form and the orifices are disposed in proximity to the periphery in the part of the perforated bottom having the smallest width.
According to one embodiment, tubular side wall has on its interior perimeter a shoulder on which the perforated bottom comes to bear. The shoulder can be annular or have breaks.
Advantageously then, at least one abutment, mounted at the inside of the tubular side wall, respectively mounted under the perforated bottom, is provided to block a tongue, mounted under the perforated bottom, respectively at the inside of the tubular side wall. This arrangement permits the bottom to be secured with the side walls, which facilitates handling of the cooking element.
Advantageously, the abutment or abutments, respectively the tongue or tongues, have an inclined face provided to push back the corresponding tongue, respectively the corresponding abutment, during insertion of the perforated bottom into the lateral side wall. These arrangements permit the bottom to be secured with the tubular side wall by simple insertion of the bottom, without requiring any particular maneuvering of the tongues. During use, the forces are principally directed toward the bottom; this is why the perforated bottom is introduced from the top and rests on the shoulder. Assembly of the cooking element is thus facilitated.
Advantageously then, the abutment provided to block one or several tongues arranged under the perforated bottom is formed by the shoulder having an inclined upper face provided to push back the outer rim of the tongues. The abutment or abutments can equally be disposed under the shoulder or under the perforated bottom.
Advantageously also, the perforated bottom has two orifices diametrically aligned with the two tongues, the tongues being disposed at the periphery of the orifices. This arrangement facilitates extraction of the bottom by simple pulling on the handle. The pulling on the handle provokes a flexing of the bottom which librates the tongues from the abutment.
These objects are equally achieved with a cooking element for a steamer composed of a tubular side wall and of a removable perforated bottom, the tubular side wall having on its interior perimeter a shoulder on which comes bear the perforated bottom, by the fact that at least one abutment, mounted at the inside of the tubular side wall, respectively mounted under the perforated bottom, is provided to block a tongue, mounted under the perforated bottom, respectively at the interior of the tubular side wall. This arrangement permits the bottom to be secured with the side walls, which facilitates handling of the cooking element.
Advantageously then the abutment provided to block one or several tongues provided under the perforated bottom is formed by the shoulder having an inclined upper face provided to push back the outer rim of the tongue or tongues. Such a configuration permitting the tubular side wall to be secured to the removable bottom is of a particularly economical construction.
Advantageously, the perforated bottom is arranged in a manner to be able to be disconnected from the tubular side wall by pulling on a handle mounted on the perforated bottom. The handle can be fixed or removable.
According to one embodiment, the perforated bottom has two points for connecting the handle diametrically aligned with the two tongues, the tongues being disposed at the periphery of the connection points of the handle. Such a configuration permits disconnection of the tubular side wall and the removable bottom in an easy manner, the pulling on the handle leading to a flexing of the bottom permitting the tongues to be freed from the abutments.
According to one embodiment, the perforated bottom has two orifices, provided for rapid attachment of a removable handle.
Advantageously, the perforated bottom has along at least one-tenth of it periphery a zone that is free of an upper side wall. This arrangement permits the transfer onto a dish of food products that are not easily handled after cooking, such as fish, while limiting the risks of breaking apart.
Also advantageously, the perforated bottom is formed by a grid not having an upper side wall is not present. One can then use a plurality of different removable grids that are not very cumbersome. With a set of grids adapted to different types of cooking, one can change the grid as a function of the cooking to be performed. This arrangement permits the production of a product that performs well without being cumbersome. Additional grids can be envisioned to cause to product to evolve. The replacement of grids by after sale services is facilitated. In addition such grids are flexible.
According to one embodiment, the perforated bottom and the tubular side wall are made of polycarbonate.
Advantageously, the perforated bottom has a plurality of orifices that are elliptical or round in form. This arrangement has allowed the creation of a grid called xe2x80x9cturbo diffusionxe2x80x9d having an increase of around 25% of the surface for passage of steam with respect to the surface of the bottom due the combination of orifices of elliptical and circular form. This arrangement permits the passage of steam and the flow of cooking juices to be facilitated, while retaining the food products. Preferably, at least 15% of the surface of the perforated bottom is formed by orifices for the passage of steam.